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3. Dealer Selection

If automakers are generally dialing back their presence at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, BMW is certainly going against the grain. BMW will debut a total of four vehicles at the show: the Concept ActiveE (essentially an all-electric 1 Series coupe), the hard-core Z4 sDrive35is, the six-cylinder 740i, and also the six-cylinder 5 Series GT — aka 535i Gran Turismo.

Unlike the 740i which will feature a twin-turbo I-6 under the hood, the 535i Gran Turismo will offer BMW’s new N55 series single-turbo 3.0L I-6. The engine combines a host of advanced features including direct fuel injection, Valvetronic variable valve management, and turbocharging – making it the world’s first engine to do so, says BMW. Output will remain the same as the standard twin-turbo I-6 as currently installed in the 335i, with 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, but that torque is now available from just 1,200 rpm. BMW estimates the 535i GT’s acceleration at 6.2. sec. to 60 mph and fuel economy at 26 mpg. The 535i Gran Turismo is slated to hit U.S. showrooms in April, following its big brother to the consumer market.

In our First Drive article, MT editor-in-chief Angus MacKenzie opined, “The 3.0-liter direct injection, single turbo straight six is a killer engine; not quite as silky smooth as old-school BMW straight sixes, but packing plenty of punch right off idle. In fact, it’s so good we wonder why you’d bother spending the $10,000 or so extra BMW plans to charge for the 350-lb heavier, V-8 powered 550i Gran Turismo.”

So there you have it. Tell us, if you were in the market for a new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, would you opt for the monster V-8, or the slick and savvy I-6? Let us know in the comments section below!